• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.408.2-409
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• 2002

The aim of this study is to prepare biodegradable microspheres without use of any kind of surfactants or emulsifiers for a novel sustained delivery carriers of protein drugs. Poly(e-caprolactone)/poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(e-caprolactone) (CEC) triblock copolymer was synthesized by ring-opening of e-caprolactone with dihydroxy poly(ethylene glycol) and was used to make surfactant-free microspheres. (omitted)

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.609-613
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• 2008

Poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (PCL-PEG-PCL) multiblock copolymers at various hydrophobic-hydrophilic ratios were successfully synthesized by the chain extension of triblock copolymers through isocyanate (hexamethylene diisocyanate). Biodegradable films were prepared from the resulting multiblock copolymers using the casting method. The mechanical properties of the films were improved by chain extension of the triblock copolymers, whereas the films prepared by the triblock copolymers were weak and brittle. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) of the multiblock copolymer film showed that the hydrophilic PEG had segregated on the film surface. This is consistent with the observed contact angle of the films.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.504-510
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• 2003

The aim of this study is to prepare biodegradable microspheres without the use of surfactants or emulsifiers for a novel sustained delivery carriers of protein drugs. A poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone)/poly(ethylene glycol)/poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (CEC) triblock copolymer was synthesized by the ring-opening of $\varepsilon$-caprolactone with dihydroxy poly (ethylene glycol) to prepare surfactant-free microspheres. When dichloromethane (DCM) or ethyl formate (EF) was used as a solvent, the formation of microspheres did not occur. Although the microspheres could be formed prior to lyophilization under certain conditions, the morphology of microspheres was not maintained during the filtration and lyophilization process. Surfactant-free microspheres were only formed when ethyl acetate (EA) was used as the organic solvent and showed good spherical micro-spheres although the surfaces appeared irregular. The content of the protein in the micro-sphere was lower than expected, probably because of the presence of water channels and pores. The protein release kinetics showed a burst release until 2 days and after that sustained release pattern was showed. Therefore, these observations indicated that the formation of microsphere without the use of surfactant is feasible, and, this the improved process, the protein is readily incorporated in the microsphere.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.153-158
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• 2002

A series of waterborne polyurethanes (WBPU) were prepared from 4,4-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate ($H_{12}$MDI),2,2-bis(hydroxylmethyl) propionic acid (DMPA), othylenediarnine (EDA), triethylamine (TEA), and triblock glycol [TBG, ($\varepsilon$-caprolactone)$_{4.5}$-poly(tetramethylene ether) glycol (MW= 2000)-($\varepsilon$-caprolactone)$_{4.5}$: $(CL)_{4.5}$-PTMG-$(CL)_{4.5}$, MW=3000] as a soft segment. Two melting peaks of TBG at about 14$^{\circ}C$ and 38$^{\circ}C$ were observed indicating the presence of two different crystalline domains composed of CL and PTMG dominant component. The effect of soft segment content (60-75 wt%) on the colloidal properties of dispersion, and thermal and mechanical properties of WBPU films, the water vapor permeability (WVP) and water resistance (WR) of WBPU-coated Nylon fabrics, and the adhesive strength of WBPU- coated layer and Nylon fabrics was investigated. As soft segment contents increased, the water vapor permeability of WBPU- coated Nylon fabrics increased from 3615 to 4502 g/$m^2$day, however, the water resistances decreased from 1300 to 500 mm$H_2$O.O.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.373-384
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• 2005

Novel pH-sensitive moieties containing an s-triazine ring were synthesized with sulfonamide and secondary amino groups. The synthesized pH-sensitive moieties were used for the synthesis of a pH-sensitive amphiphilic ABA triblock copolymer. The pH-sensitive triblock copolymer was composed of diblock copolymers, methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly ($\varepsilon$-caprolactone-co-D,L-lactide) (MPEG-PCLA), and pH-sensitive moiety. These copolymers could be dissolved molecularly in both acidic and basic aqueous media at room temperature due to secondary amino and sulfonamide groups. The synthesized s-triazine rings containing pH-sensitive compounds were characterized by ${^1}H-NMR,\;{^13}C-NMR$, and LC/MSD spectral data. The synthesized diblock and triblock copolymers were also characterized by ${^1}H-NMR$ and GPC analyses. The critical micelle concentrations at various pH conditions were determined by fluorescence technique using pyrene as a probe. Furthermore, the micellization and demicellization study of the triblock copolymer was done with pH-sensitive groups. The sensitivity towards pH change was further established by acid-base titration.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.467-475
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• 2001

A triblock copolymer based on $poly(\varepsilon-caprolactone)$ (PCL) as the hydrophobic part and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as the hydrophilic portion was synthesized by a ring-opening mechanism of ${\varepsilon}-caprolactone$ with PEG containing a hydroxyl group at bot h ends as an initiator. The synthesized block copolymers of PCL/PEG/PCL (CEC) were confirmed and characterized using various analysis equipment such as 1H NMR, DSC, FT-IR, and WAXD. Core-shell type nanoparticles of CEC triblock copolymers were prepared using a dialysis technique to estimate their potential as a colloidal drug carrier using a hydrophobic drug. From the results of particle size analysis and transmission electron microscopy, the particle size of CEC core-shell type nanoparticles was determined to be about 20-60 nm with a spherical shape. Since CEC block copolymer nanoparticles have a core-shell type micellar structure and small particle size similar to polymeric micelles, CEC block copolymer can self-associate at certain concentrations and the critical association concentration (CAC) was able to be determined by fluorescence probe techniques. The CAC values of the CEC block copolymers were dependent on the PCL block length. In addition, drug loading contents were dependent on the PCL block length: the larger the PCL block length, the higher the drug loading content. Drug release from CEC core-shell type nanoparticles showed an initial burst release for the first 12 hrs followed by pseudo-zero order release kinetics for 2 or 3 days. CEC-2 block copolymer core-shell type nanoparticles were degraded very slowly, suggesting that the drug release kinetics were governed by a diffusion mechanism rather than a degradation mechanism irrelevant to the CEC block copolymer composition.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2014

Polyamide4 (PA4)-polyurethane (PU)-PA4 triblock copolymers were synthesized by isocynated (NCO)-terminated PU prepared from 4,4'-diphenyl methane diisocyante (MDI) and polytetramethylene glycol (PTMG) as an initiator and potassium pyrrolidonate (P-py) as a catalyst for anionic ring opening polymerization of 2-pyrrolidone. Subsequently copolymer was controlled to contain different or same molecular weight of PA4 hard block with same or different molecular weight of PU soft block in order to investigate the effects of those differences on various properties of triblock copolymers as a thermoplastic elastomer. As the results shown in typical properties of block copolymeric elastomers, the mechanical strength and melting point ($T_m$) of the copolymers increased with an increase in molecular weight of PA4 block while the elongation at break increased with an increase in that of PU block.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.1638-1642
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• 2012

A series of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) tri and multiblock copolymers with relatively high molecular weights were synthesized through the coupling reaction between the bis(acyl chloride) of carboxylated PLA and mono or dihydroxy PEG. The coupling reaction and the copolymer structures were monitored by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The melting temperature (Tm) of PEG blocks decreased with the presence of PLA sequences attaching to PEG blocks. The CMC values were determined to be 10-145 mg/L depending on the length of PLA and PEG blocks and the structure of the block copolymers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.352-354
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• 2002

A series of ABA type triblock copolymers of trimethylene carbonate (TMC) and $\varepsilon$-caprolactone($\varepsilon$-CL) with different molar ratio were synthesized using ethylene glycol as initiator and stannous octoate as catalyst by ring-opening bulk polymerization. The characterization of the triblock copolymers was characterized by $^1$H-NMR, $\^$13/C-NMR, FT-IR, GPC and DSC, and compared with random copolymer. (omitted)

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.54-59
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• 2002

ABA triblock copolymers of L-lactide and trimethylene carbonate with several different compositions were prepared by sequential ring-opening polymerization in the presence of diethylene glycol. Also chain-extension reactions of the resulting copolymers were carried out using hexamethylene diisocyanate to produce relatively high molecular weight polymers, which could be cast into elastomeric tough films. The polymers with certain L-lactide contents were partially crystalline, exhibiting two-phase morphology. The polymer films showed reversible elastic behavior under tensile tension, providing a novel thermoplastic elastomer possessing desirable properties such as biodegradability and good mechanical properties.